1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a nano-complex thermoelectric material, and a thermoelectric module and a thermoelectric apparatus including the nano-complex thermoelectric material, and more particularly, to a nano-complex thermoelectric material, and a thermoelectric module and a thermoelectric apparatus including the nano-complex thermoelectric material having a high Seebeck coefficient, high electrical conductivity, and low thermal conductivity.
2. Description of the Related Art
The thermoelectric effect is a reversible, direct energy conversion from heat to electricity and vice versa, which occurs when electrons and holes move in a material. Examples of the thermoelectric effect include the Peltier effect, which is used in cooling systems operating based on a temperature difference between ends of a material caused when an electrical current is applied thereto, and the Seebeck effect, which is used in power-generation systems operating based on an electromotive force generated due to a temperature difference between ends of a material.
Currently, thermoelectric materials are used in active cooling systems of semiconductor equipment and electronic devices for which use of a passive cooling system is inefficient. In addition, demands for thermoelectric materials in areas such as precise temperature control systems in DNA applications where conventional refrigerant gas compression systems are ineffective have increased. Thermoelectric cooling is an environmentally friendly cooling technique that does not use a refrigerant gas, which can cause environmental problems, and does not generate vibration or noise. If highly efficient thermoelectric cooling materials are developed, they could be used in general cooling systems such as refrigerators or air conditioners. In addition, thermoelectric materials are regarded as a renewable energy source because thermoelectric materials can be used to capture energy that would have otherwise been lost from heat dissipation, for example from a vehicle engine or an industrial plant.
Thus there remains a need for an improved thermoelectric material.